50. Keelan

Chapter fifty

Keelan

T he moon settled behind a veil of murky clouds. The stars, having lost their leader, retreated as well.

I stared upward and muttered, "Darkness favors our plan."

Justin's nod was rapid, a child wishing a thing to be so, whether or not it was.

Sometime in the early hours of the morning, the boats struck land. We gathered weapons and supplies, hid the boats in the brush, and assembled one last time before the mission began in full.

"Any last questions? The hike should take about an hour." I made eye contact with each team member as I'd done before. Each man shook his head.

"Good. Remember, we're here for information . Lethal force is a last resort, but if you see us running from hundreds of fanatics in masks, shoot anything that isn't us! "

The men chuckled quietly, appreciating the break in tension.

Two of the Constables fanned out and scouted the surrounding area for anyone who might compromise our approach. The rest of the team crept in single file, the Prince securely in the middle of the line.

Forty minutes later, the Royal Guard, Justin, and I huddled a few hundred paces from the dock. The other team had split into pairs, one circling around the building to a position equally distant on the north side. The other pair sneaked to the shoreline and nocked their bows.

Four Children paced between the dock and the back door.

"They've doubled the guard since we were here last." Concern crept into my voice as I whispered to the Prince.

Justin started to respond, but a bird's shrill call cut him off.

That was the signal.

The Constables insisted that kill shots from a few hundred paces were easy, despite my concerns about overconfidence. As it turned out, the Sheriff's men won the bet as four robed figures dropped simultaneously after a perfectly synchronized volley from both teams. The Constables were moving before the figures hit the ground.

Within seconds, the kills were confirmed and offending arrows retrieved. The Constables dragged the bodies to the shoreline and hid them under the dock. They would be discovered as soon as the sun peeked above the horizon but hopefully not before we completed our mission.

The pairs assumed positions on either side of the rear entrance, and I took my cue, motioning for the Prince and his guards to follow. When we reached the door, one of the men held out a key while the other three nocked arrows and stood to the side.

I held my breath as the lock clicked and the door swung wide.

Two masked figures appeared in the now-opened doorway and were greeted by arrows from the remaining Constables. I stepped over the dead figures and entered the dark hallway.

As we approached the fork, eerie humming drifted on the still air from somewhere ahead.

Drums beat slowly in the distance.

I glanced back. Terror filled the Prince's eyes.

I placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and whispered, "Think about your sister. These men will protect you. Just stick to the plan. Okay?"

Justin's eyes swelled as he nodded.